Bye-Bye ‘Ugly Betty’ – You’ll Be Missed, But Thanks For Giving Me The Series Finale I Was Waiting For!

Watching Ugly Betty end last night was bittersweet – but at least producers teased the Daniel/Betty romance I’ve been waiting to see for four seasons!

Let’s kick-start our day with a few clichés, shall we? May I say that all good things must come to an end – and with every ending comes a new beginning? Both effectively sum up how I felt last night as I said goodbye to one of my current favorite TV shows: Ugly Betty.

Betty’s had a good run. In my opinion, Betty Suarez (played by the lovely America Ferrera), has been one of the greatest TV heroines in the last ten years. Her physical flaws are nothing in comparison to her wit, charm, loyalty and intelligence. She’s beloved because of who she is inside, not because of how she looks.

Which brings me to the April 14 season (and series) finale. After four seasons, Betty’s boss, Daniel Meade, finally realized what I’ve been hoping for all along – that in addition to relying and leaning on Betty, he’s actually IN LOVE with her. Sigh.

Like most men, Daniel (played by Eric Mabius) doesn’t realize what he could have had until it’s almost gone. When Betty resigns from her cushy job at Mode magazine to start a new life in London, Daniel FINALLY gets it, but doesn’t act on his feelings, and lets Betty go. Duh. Dumb boy.

Here’s why I really love last night’s episode: when Betty leaves New York City, she doesn’t look back. In Betty’s final four minutes, she’s a single girl making a new start in a new city – and she’s fabulous. She doesn’t need a man. She’s confident on her own.

BUT…Daniel comes chasing after her! He apologizes that he didn’t get a chance to say goodbye and (I like this) instead of proclaiming his love all dramatically to give us the perfect ending, he asks Betty out on a date.

Fairytale happy endings are NOT reality, and I’m glad series creator Silvio Horta didn’t dumb things down for us. Instead, he left us with something better – hope for a real-life happy ending. At the end of the day, that’s all we can ask for, isn’t it?

Because that, my friends, is how life works. Thanks for the memories, Betty. And if there IS a Betty movie in the works, trust me, I’ll be watching.